Towel dispensing machines



Nov. 9, 1965 J. E. KIENEL 3,216,548

TOWEL DISPENSING MACHINES Original Filed April 14. 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. L/OJEPH A/ BY ATTORNEYS Nov. 9, 1965 J. E. KIENEL 3,216,548

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L/OJEPH E mE/VEL ATTORNEYS United States Patent l 3,216,543 TOWEL DZSPENSKNG MACHINES Joseph E. Kienei, Acworth, Ga, assignor to Cailoway Mills Company, La Grange, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Original application Apr. 14, N68, Ser. No. 22,336, new Patent No. 3,95,998, dated July 2, 1963. Divided and this application Sept. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 221,084

9 Claims. (Cl. 194--4) This invention relates to a towel dispensing machine and particularly to a machine of that sort for dispensing or vending shop towels and other towels in response to and only as a result of placing a used towel into the machine prior to receiving a clean one. This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 22,336, filed April 14, 1960, now U.S. Patent No. 3,095,998.

A considerable number of towels and wiping cloths and other type fabric articles are used daily by various institutions, factories, shops and other places. These cloths represent a substantial investment and the cost of cleaning and maintaining them is an important factor in the overall overhead cost of an establishment. One of the most difficult things to contend with in the dispensing of these articles to a number of different personnel at various times of the day is the fact that many towels are never returned or are damaged carelessly to the extent that they cannot be used again. These establishments have been in need of a dispensing apparatus which will police the dispensing of the clean towels according to the return of another dirty towel and in such a manner as to provide safeguards against the varied attempts to cheat the machine through the use of other items than the actual towels themselves. Some personnel are very careless with the use of these towels and either destroy them needlessly, damage them carelessly or remove them from the premises thereby causing considerable financial loss to the owners. A number of prior art machines have attempted to solve this problem through the construction of a dispensing device employing a receiving portion into which there is placed a dirty towel and a delivery portion from which the clean towel may be removed after having put the dirty towel in the machine. There is nothing new broadly only in the idea of a dispensing machine which employs apparatus for receiving a dirty towel and dispensing a clean one. However, the construction and arrangement and inherent mechanical or electrical fabrication of these other machines is such that they are limited or fail to provide sufiicient safeguards against cheating the machines by the ingenuity of the personnel who wish to remove clean towels without using an actual dirty towel of the same fabric. For example, in many of these prior art machines, it is possible to insert pieces of newspaper or waste material or even strips cut from a towel rather than a whole towel itself and these cheating devices are sufiicient to fool the machine to the extent that a new towel will be delivered. Also, the delivery mechanism of many of these machines is undependable in that sometimes it delivers no towels when it should or at times it delivers more than one when it should deliver only one. Such difficulties and mal-functions as these are sufficient to destroy the entire utility of the machine and to make such machines infeasible to the establishment to invest a large sum of money for the purchase price of a machine.

Generally described, without restriction on the scope of my invention, and as found in the appended claims, and with no particular attention to the use of patent terminology or vernacular, the present machine, similar to all other towel dispensing machines, employs a large cabinet-like affair with a door securely locked but which may be opened for access into the machine for loading,

3,Zlfi,548 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 repairing or otherwise exposing the internal parts. The cabinet is divided generally into a receiving section comprising a storage area in which dirty towels are allowed to collect and a dispensing section or area in which there is placed a large size stack of clean towels. A small needlelike loading member protrudes from the upper portion of the outside of the machine near the receiving section and on this member is hung a dirty towel. A narrow, restricted opening is located in the front door of the machine below the dispensing portion and from this opening drops the clean towel after the dirty towel has passed inspection. Behind the member on which the dirty towel is hung and completely closed from access thereto is the receiving and inspection portion and apparatus of the receiving part of the machine which comprises a continuous chain driven about suitable sprocket arrangement and having attached thereto the needle-like member on which the dirty towel is hung. The chain is calibrated in length according to the size lineally of the towel to be examined. The preferred arrangement is that the towel be measured diagonally from corner to corner by the present receiving mechanism. The chain receives the towel and passes beneath a particular plate arrangement directing the leading end of the towel against a first sensing member which trips a first inspection switch and then the towel travels to a second sensing and switch device which completes the inspection and measures the towel. The essence of this is that the fabric must be of such body and texture as to engage these sensing devices or otherwise the devices will not actuate the switches. This is to prevent the use of newspaper, towel scraps or other debris to activate the machine. The first switch contact member responds to the movement of the towel and will activate a switch if the body of the towel is sufficient to engage same resiliently. The measuring chain is activated by a self-contained mot-or transmission which is operated manually from a button on the front of the machine after the person has placed the towel on the needle-receiving member. Through suitable innercounective relay circuitry, the switches of the first and second sensing members close a latching relay which closes the motor circuit to the delivery or dispensing apparatus now described. In the chamber or portion of the cabinet completely separate from the receiving mechanism, there is a vertically movable dispensing carriage which is movably supported on vertical posts and which comprises a stack contacting delivery frame adapted to rest on the top of and against a vertical stack of clean towels and being counterbalanced thereon by means of suitable weight and pulley arrangement. This frame carries the delivery mechanism for picking up and delivering a towel to the front of the machine and this mechanism comprises a continuous chain member suitably guarded by a cover and having at one position thereon a specially arranged towel pickup member consisting of a plurality of fine teeth mounted on a flexible back and having the slope thereof and the ends thereof beveled in such a manner as to pick up a towel in one direction and to drop it after changing direction and passing a certain point. On the frame there is mounted suitable motor and transmission drive for a continuous chain member having the towel pickup shoe or device thereon, and this motor is activated by the closing of the latching relay from the measuring switch arrangement of the receiving section. The relationship between the frame and the position of the delivery mechanism on top of the stack and resting on the selvage of the towel is such as to provide a novel delivery assuring the positive pickup of one towel at the time. Various important details will be apparent from a more thorough reading of the specification.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a substantially cheat-proof or foolproof towel dispensing machine which will inspect and measure an incoming towel before dispensing or delivering a clean one.

A particular advantage of this invention resides in the measuring and inspection apparatus of the receiving section of the machine whereby an input towel must be measured, such as diagonally from corner to corner, and must be of such body and thickness to pass inspection or otherwise it will not operate the machine.

Another object of this invention resides in the particular arrangement of the delivery carriage or mecha nism whereby positive contact with the top towel in the stack is maintained and positive delivery is substantially assured each and every time.

With respect to the incoming inspection arrangement and the receiving portion, it is pointed out there is a particular advantage in the manner of feeding the cloth towel so as to confine it through a feeding channel against a first and a second sensing switch member so that the body and texture of the material fed must be at least equivalent to that of a shop towel or otherwise the measuring wheel will not operate.

Another feature of this invention resides in the details of the pickup shoe itself, wherein sharp-pointed pickup members attached to a flexible back accomplish pickup only in one direction of movement as the shoe passes against the material and delivery and these pickup members release by gravity when the direction of the delivery chain changes thereby dropping the towel out of the machine.

An additional advantage of this machine resides in the electric circuitry and electro-mechanical devices for accomplishing input-towel inspection and automatic clean towel delivery.

Still another feature is the clean towel stack arrangement and delivery arrangement whereby the delivery mechanism rests by counterweights on the top of the stack and lowers as the stack decreases.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the machine of this invention with the front cabinet door removed exposing the internal mechanism and with portions thereof broken away to show details.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the machine in FIG. 1 with the front door closed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective View of the towel pickup shoe.

FIG. 4 is a schematic electrical diagram of the operating circuitry of the machine in FIG. 1 with electro-mechanical elements shown therein.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of modified needle pickup device.

Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawing and then from time to time to the other figures and details thereof, it is seen that the machine is contained in a large cabinet having a top 12, a back 14, and sides 16. A front closure door 18 has an open delivery slot 20 in the front thereof and has on the upper left-hand side a covered towel attaching position 22 and a starter button 24 located adjacent thereto. The door 18 is normally closed and locked in place so that the machine is completely tamper-proof except through the use of the intended outside controls.

The machine 10 is divided essentially into two sections, the receiving section 28 and the delivery section 30. These two sections are related to each other through the electrical circuitry and electro-mechanical operation therebetween whereby the delivery section 30 operates only by and upon a signal from electric switch actuation from the receiving section. In the receiving section 28, there is a towel delivery and measuring chain 32 supported on a drive sprocket 34 and idling over front and rear sprockets 36, 38, the front sprocket being supported adjacent the front door so that the chain 32 passes in close proximity to the towel attachment opening. Attached to the chain 32 is a small protruding needle-like member 40 which protrudes from the outer surface of the chain 32 and passes by the front towel attachment opening and stop near there between each operation of the machine. A second needle-like member 40 is on chain 32 in the event the first one is missed. The sprocket is driven by a self-contained, conventional electric motor and transmission unit 44 attached to the panel member 45 of the cabinet which separates the receiving 28 from the delivery section 30. The motor unit 44 is driven by suitable v. A.C. electric current through a power line from any available power source. Immediate- 1y above the chain, outside the machine on cabinet door 18 there is a towel channeling and guiding device 46 consisting of a slotted plate and housing 47 on door 18 over the chain which causes the towel to become elongated and to assume a substantially straight line delivery after it is fed into the machine on the delivery chain. Within the receiving section beyond the channel guiding housing there is a measuring and inspection apparatus 48 comprising a first sensing switch device 50 having a movable bifurcated contact arm 52 pivoted on the machine frame presentinga movable sensing arm above and straddling the chain 32. The location of the sensing arm 52 above chain 32 is such that the arm 52 will be contacted by the bulk of the fabric of the towel having the proper thickness. Attachedadjacent to sensing arm 50 there is a sensitive micro switch 60 located in the path of the arm 50 and connected by suitable circuitry to a latching relay 62 mounted on the inside of the cabinetmachine 10. For the time being the details of the specific electric circuitry will not be recited: however, hereinafter under Electrical Circuitry and Operation this will be discussed fully. A second sensing device 64, identical with device 50, is mountedwith its bifurcated sensing arm 66 in the path of and straddling chain 32 at a spaced point inwardly from arm 52, this second sensing arm 66 being spaced from the first sensing arm 52 along chain 32 by a distance approximately equal to the predetermined length of the towel and therefore the distance between the two arms 52 and 66 is such that the switches measure the towel in that if the towel is sufficiently long, the opposite end portions of the towel during a portion of its travel will engage, respectively, the arms 52 and 66 at the same time Sensing device 64 includes a sensitive micro switch 68 in circuitry with switch 60 and the latching relay 62. With this arrangement, both switches 60, 68 must be actuated by the bulk of the towel as chain 32 moves the towel beneath the switch arms 52, 66 in order to complete the verification required to operate the delivery arrangement.

The front of the machine has protruding therefrom a manual push switch rod '70 part of a starting switch 72 of the sensitive latching micro type, spring-biased normally open but having a conventional latching arrangement whereby it remains closed after operation until unlatched. Push button 24 is attached to the rod 70. Chain 32 is provided with a follow-up and switch actuation lug (not shown) protruding therefrom following the travel of the towel and mechanically contacting the switch 72 after the towel has passed inspection to unlatch same to cut off the motor of the motor-transmission combination unit 44.

According to the circuitry and electro-mechanical operation which will be described following the description of the delivery section, electrical association and connection between the input section 28 and the delivery section 30 through the latching relay 62 interconnects and relates these sections requiring that the towel pass inspection as to length and bulk beneath the arms 52, 66 before the delivery section will operate to deliver a clean towel.

The delivery section comprises a large rectangular space vertically arranged on one side of the cabinet and adapted to receive and hold a large stack of towels 73. Resting on top of the towels 73 is the delivery carriage 74 movably supported on vertical post 76 by means of a loose collar arrangement 78 supporting a frame 80 having a triangular presser foot and plate 81 resting on top of the stack with upturned edges 82 coextensive with the towel selvage along one corner thereof. The frame 80 has attached thereto a pair of sprocket members 83, 84 having a continuous delivery chain 85 thereon and operated therearound.

The delivery chain 85 has attached thereto a delivery foot or shoe and pickup device 86 (FIG. 3) comprising a heavy, flexible backing cloth or material 88 or like metallic material in which is fastened and from which protrudes a plurality of aligned rows of needle-like members inclined rearwardly and bent in the manner shown in FIG. 3 and adapted to pick up the towel by penetration into the fabric as the foot 86 is fed across stack 73 from front to rear and to hold the towel as the chain 85 travels on top from rear to front, releasing the towel by gravity as the delivery-foot device 86 changes direction from top to bottom going from front to rear again. Needles 96 are imbedded in or otherwise attached to the backing material 89 somewhat like the bristles on a hair brush. For long lasting operation, needles 90 are made from a high tensile resilient steel sometimes used in the production of ordinary sewing needles. Shoe 86 is attached to chain 85 by means of a special bracket 92 of U-shape construction having a chain link 95 attached thereto for attachment into the chain 85. The carriage 74 is counterweighted through a system of cables 96 attached over pulleys 98 and having counterweights 100 attached thereto so as to maintain a proper balance between the weight of the carriage on top of the stack of towels.

A self-contained combined v. electric motor and transmission unit 110, which is a conventional device obtainable from a number of sources and which occupies only a small space, is attached to carriage 74 and has a shaft 112 which drives the delivery chain 85 in a continuous manner. Fastened on a chain housing 114 near the top thereof there is a bracket 116 supporting a switch 118 having a contact arm 120 located on the chain 85 at a spaced interval from the pickup shoe 86. A switch contact lug member 122 on chain 85 contacts the switch arm 120 operating switch 118 to break the delivery circuit at such time as the shoe 86 has passed the forward position and has dropped a towel. The momentum of the chain 85 and the shoe 86 carries the device on back down to a frontal position where it is ready to pick up another towel from the top of the stack. Delivery is always etfectuated one towel at a time from the top of the stack and in view of the relative thickness of a towel and the size and speed of the shoe needles 90 contacting only the top towel in the stack 73, only one such towel 73 is removed from the stack.

The weight of the carriage 74 and the configuration and arrangement to the triangular presser foot and plate 81 on the selvage of the front corner of a towel 73 causes a slight hump or bump at the exposed 'back of the towel stack causing the top towel to pooc out thereby adding to the positive removal of one and only one towel from the stack each time. This assists the towels in separating from each other.

The front part of the delivery side 30 near the bottom thereof has a flexible chute thereon normally stretched between a bottom roller 132 and a removable top retaining rod 134. A smaller metal chute 136 attached on the front of the housing 114 directs the delivered towel onto the front chute 130 and the towel drops from there out of an opening 138 near the bottom of the front of cabinet 10. The chute 130 provides a barrier between the front opening 138 and the stack of towels 73 thereby re 6 sisting the removal of a towel surreptitiously from opening 138.

In the modified pickup shoe device 140 shown in FIG. 5, the arrangement is very similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 except that the needle members 142 in the FIG. 5 embodiment are bent near the bottom closely adjacent the surface of the backing material 144 rather than near the end as shown in the FIG. 3 embodiment. The view in FIG. 5 is considerably enlarged to show clearly that the terminal ends of the needles 142 are beveled or inclined in cross section, thereby assisting the pickup in one direction and the drop in the other.

As the delivery of the towels takes place, the stack '73 diminishes in size and the carriage 74 travels with the stack 73 vertically downwardly until a position at the bottom of the stack 73 is reached, at which time a springbiased contact member is actuated by the carriage foot 81 operating a switch 152 causing the machine to shut off and to light the front red panel light 154 signalling visibly that the machine is empty. Cabinet door 18 is mounted on hinges and mounted near the inner facing of the hinged door there is an electrical interlock 155 comprising a male plug 156 on the door 18 and a female plug on the cabinet proper whereby, as a safety feature, opening door 18 automatically disengages the interlock 154 to terminate the electrical current which normally is provided through a conventional electrical line 160 having a conventional plug 162 plugged into any convenient outlet. The machine can be serviced and maintained with towels by inexperienced personnel without danger of elec tric shock or accidental machine operation during loading. An ordinary electrically operated counter 166 is mounted on the machine and adapted to be energized electrically through a line 167 each time the delivery mechanism delivers one towel. The towel-counter counts continuously each time switch 118 closes thereby providing a convenient method of auditing the operation, the loading count and so forth.

Electrical circuitry and operation 7 The complete electrical circuitry of this device is shown in FIG. 4- and comprises a pair of switch and switch contacts 60, 68 on the measuring member, as described hereinbefore, connected by suitable circuitry through the first coil 172 of the relay station 62, which in turn is connected to the latching switch 174 controlled by the oif coil 176 number 2. One side of the line 160 is 178 and the other side is 180. In accordance with this arrangement the circuit to the motor drive 110 of the delivery remains open until such time as the switch 174 is closed through the relay 62 by the actuation of the switches 60, 68 by the measuring member 32. Measuring member 32 is inactive until such time as the towel 73 is placed on the needle-point front and the start button 72 is pushed manually by the person delivering the towel to close a circuit 181 through motor 44. The closing of both switches 60, 68 completes a circuit in relay coil 172 from one side of the line 178 through circuit 182 to the other side 180. According to the operation of the conventional latches of relay 62, the circuit 184 through switch 174 closes upon the energization of coil 172 and remains closed with the switch armature of switch 174 latched mechanically in place until the subsequent energization of off coil 176 releases the latch. This occurs when chain lug 122 on chain 85 strikes switch 118. After switches 60, 68 had closed, motor 44 was stopped by the action of the lug on chain 132 manually hitting push switch 72 to unlock the latched armature. The closing of switch 174 started motor 110 which caused chain 85 to deliver a clean towel. Following the towel delivery, the opening of switch 118 and unlatching of switch 174 returns the machine to initial position. The actuation of spring contact 150 by carriage foot 81 switches the switch 152 from L for left, to R for right, thereby permanently opening circuits 181 and Full 7217411860-68 open; 152 Left and remains so Empty 721741186068 open; 152 Right The sequence of operation and condition of switches is shown in the following table:

upwardly to deliver same into said machine, a first bifurcated sensing member straddling said delivery member and adjacent to the path of travel of said towel attachment member and adapted to be contacted by the bulk of said towel between it and said delivery member as it is propelled thereagainst, at least one other bifuracted sensing member located adjacent to the path of travel of said towel attachment member at a distance along said delivery member spaced from said first sensing member and straddling said delivery member and adapted to be contacted by the bulk of said towel after said towel has traveled a predetermined distance with said delivery member, electric power means for said de- OOpen CClosed Normal OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO Machine loaded with towelsRead to Run. Start button pushed.

Dirty towel hits first sensing.

Dirth towel hits second sensing.

Relay closes starts clean motor.

Dirty towel passes first sensing.

Dirty towel passes second sensing.

Dirty towel chain releases start button. Clean towel chain hits stop Micro. Machine coasts to release stop Micro.

, If no towel in sequence is O, I, VII, 0

If short towl in, sequence is O, I, II, V, III, VI, VII, 0 (IV and VIII are omitted). It empty, sequence is O, I, (Start switch closed but circuit open at empty Micr0).

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention, this is in no way to be construed as any sort of limitation therein since various alterations, changes, eliminations, substitutions, variations and deviations may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an inspection device for use on a towel vending machine to examine and inspect dirty towels inserted in said machine so as to prevent the dispensing of a clean towel unless a dirty towel passesinspection into said machine comprising: a dirty towel delivery means mounted on said machine to travel in an arcuate path and adapted to deliver a single dirty towel into said machine, electrical power means for said delivery means and adapted to be operated intermittently upon the insertion of a dirty towel therein, towel attachment means on said delivery means for projecting outwardly of said machine and upon which a dirty towel may be attached from outside said machine for delivery into said machine, a first bifurcated sensing element on said machine straddling said delivery means and adapted to sense the entry of said towel into said machine as said delivery means propels said towel therein, a second bifurcated sensing device spaced from said first sensing device along the travel of said delivery means and straddling said delivery means and adapted to sense the travel of said towel at a distance from said first sensing device whereby said towel is measured from said first to said second sensing devices, switch means closable upon the insertion of a towel into said machine to start said delivery mechanism in operation, and circuit means on said machine closable upon the operation of and the contacting of both of said sensing members to close said circuit in said machine to effectuate further operation thereof.

2. In an inspection device for examining dirty towels inserted into a towel vending machine in order to inspect said towels before the issuance and vending of a clean towel, comprising: an input, power driven delivery member mounted on said machine and having a portion thereof travelling adjacent the towel input of said machine, means mounting said delivery member for operation in an arcuate path upwardly toward said entrance and thence away from said entrance and downwardly to the original point, a sharp towel attachment member mounted on said delivery member and adapted to receive a towel hung thereon as said delivery member travels livery member, switch means for said electric .power means which may be operated upon the insertion of a towel into said machine, a first switch associated with said first sensing member and adapted to be actuated thereby upon contact with said towel, another switch associated with said other sensing member and adapted to be contacted thereby upon the contact of said towel therewith, electrical circuit means including both of said first and second switches, said electrical circuit means adapted to be closed by the operation of both of said switches when said towel extends from one to the other and provides the proper amount of bulk to actuate said sensing members, and switch operation means adapted to operate said electric switch for said electric motor to terminate the operation of said delivery member after a towel has been delivered therein.

3. A measuring and inspection device for use on the normally closed section of a towel vending machine having a dirty towel section into which dirty towels are deposited as a prerequisite to receiving a clean towel, an endless input delivery chain for selective operation on sa1d machine, means supporting said endless chain for movement thereon, a drive means engageable with said chain for driving same, at least one attachment member fastened on said chain on the exterior thereof and adapted to impale a towel thereon and to retain same for movement with said delivery chain, a contactible bifurcated sensing member straddling said delivery chain and spaced a distance from said delivery chain, first electrical switch means associated with said sensing member to be actuated thereby, said first sensing member being actuated in response to engagement by the bulk of a towel passing thereagainst, a contactible sensing member, a second switch associated with said second sensing member and adapted to be actuated thereby, said second sensing member being located at a distance from said first sensing member spaced equal to a predetermined length of said towel to be measured automatically by said machine, said first and second switches being electrically associated whereby both switches must be closed in order to form an electrical circuit therewith, said endless delivery being adapted to receive a towel thereon and to deliver same against said first and second sensing members in succession to measure the length of said towel and to automatically determine the bulk thereof according to the fullness of said towel in the space between said delivery and said first and second sensing members.

4. In an inspection device for examining dirty towels inserted into a towel vending machine in order to verify said towels before the issuance and vending of a clean towel, comprising: a power driven towel input member mounted on said machine and having a portion thereof adapted to travel adjacent the entrance of said machine, means mounting said power driven member for movement in a predetermined arcuate and continuous path therein, a towel attachment member mounted on said towel input member and adapted to receive a towel attached thereon to deliver same into said machine, said towel being hung by gravity over said attachment member which is upright as said towel enters said machine but becomes inverted thereafter, a first bifurcated sensing member straddling and adjacent to said input member and adapted to be contacted by the bulk of said towel as it is propelled thereagainst, at least one other bifurcated sensing member located at a distance along the travel of said input member spaced from said first sensing device and adapted to be contacted by the bulk of said towel after said towel has traveled a predetermined distance, electric power means for said input member, switch means for said electric power means whichmay be operated upon the insertion of a towel into said machine, electrical circuit means including said first and additional sensing members, said electrical circuit means being adapted to be closed by the operation of both of said sensing members when said towel both extends from one to the other and provides the proper amount of bulk to actuate said sensing members, and means adapted to terminate the operation of said input member after a towel has been delivered within said machine, said input member when receiving a towel having said towel hung by gravity on said attachment member and taking same upwardly and then away from said entrance into said machine, then said input member inverting said towel attachment member to drop said towel as said input member travels downwardly thence back to the initial position adjacent said entrance.

5. In an inspection device for examining dirty towels inserted into a towel vending machine in order to inspect said towels before the issuance and vending of a clean towel, comprising: a power driven member mounted on said machine and having a portion thereof adapted to travel adjacent the entrance of said machine, means mounting said power driven member for movement in an arcuate path therein, a sharp towel attachment member mounted on said power driven means and adapted to receive a towel attached manually thereon to deliver same into said machine, a first bifurcated sensing member straddling and adjacent to said driven member and adapted to be contacted by the bulk of said towel as it is propelled thereagainst, at least one other bifurcated sensing member located at a distance along the travel of said power driven member spaced from said first sensing member and adapted to be contacted by the bulk of said towel after said towel has traveled a predetermined distance into said machine, electric power means for said power driven member, switch means for said electric power means whereby said switch may be operated upon the insertion of a towel into said machine, a first switch associated with said first sensing member and adapted to be actuated thereby upon contact with said towel, another switch associated with said other sensing member and adapted to be contacted thereby upon the contact of said towel therewith, electrical circuit means including both of said first and other switches, said electrical circuit means being adapted to be closed by the operation of both of said switches when said towel extends from one to the other and provides the proper amount of bulk to actuate said sensing members, and additional switch means on said machine adapted to operate said electric switch for said electric motor to terminate the operation of said power member after a towel has been 10 delivered therein, said power member inverting said sharp member after the towel passes inspection to drop the towel into the machine.

6. A measuring and inspection device for use on the normally closed section of a towel vending machine having a dirty towel section into which dirty towels are deposited as a prerequisite to receiving a clean towel, an endless input delivery chain for selective operation on said machine, first and second sprockets supporting said continuous member for movement thereon, a drive sprocket engageable with said chain for driving same, at least one needle-like member fastened on said chain on the exterior thereof and adapted to receive a towel hung thereon and to retain same for movement with said continuous chain, a first sensing member associated with said delivery chain and comprising a pivotally mounted sensing switch member having a bifurcated end thereof straddling and spaced a distance above said chain, first electrical switch means associated with said pivotally mounted member to be actuated thereby, said first sensing member being pivoted in response to engagement by the bulk of a towel passing thereagainst, a second bifurcated sensing switch member comprising a pivotally mounted sensing switch element, a second switch associated with said second sensing member and adapted to be actuated thereby, said second sensing member being located at a linear distance from said first sensing member equal to a predetermined length of said towel to be measured automatically by said machine, said first and second switches being electrically associated whereby both switches must be closed in order to form an electrical circuit therewith, said continuous delivery chain being adapted to receive a towel hung thereon and to deliver same beneath and against said first and second sensing members in succession to measure the length of said towel and to automatically determine the bulk thereof according to the fullness of said towel in the space between said delivery chain and said first and second sensing members.

7. In a towel receiving and dispensing apparatus, a cabinet having a soiled towel receiving opening, a towel input feeding means in said cabinet, towel impaling means on said feeding means adapted to be exposed at said opening to the exterior of said cabinet, means for causing the towel to become elongated as it is drawn into said cabinet by said impaling means, bifurcated towel contacting elements straddling the path of travel of said impaling means and spaced apart along the path of a towel carried by said impaling means, and switch means operable in response to said towel contacting elements simultaneously occupying deflected positions as a result of being contacted by a soiled towel having a length at least as great as the distance between said elements.

8. In a towel receiving and dispensing apparatus, a cabinet, a towel input feeding means in said cabinet, a towel channeling and guiding means on said cabinet including an elongated opening in said cabinet and a housing above said opening, towel impaling means on said feeding means adapted to extend through said opening whereby the towel is elongated as it is fed into said cabinet, bifurcated towel contacting elements straddling the path of travel of said impaling means spaced apart along the path of a towel carried by said impaling means, and switch means operable in response to said towel contacting element simultaneously occupying deflected positions as a result of being contacted by a soiled towel having a predetermined minimum length.

9. In an apparatus for receiving and dispensing towels, a cabinet having a soiled towel receiving opening therein, an endless input feeding chain in said cabinet, first and second sprocket members supporting said delivery chain for movement thereon, a drive sprocket engageable with said chain for driving same, at least one towel impaling member fastened on the exterior of said chain and adapted to be exposed at said opening to the exterior of said cabinet, means for causing said towel to become elongated as it is fed into said cabinet, a pair of bifurcated towel contacting elements straddling the path of travel of said impaling means and spaced apart along the path of a towel carried by said impaling means, each of said towel contacting elements having switch means associated therewith, each of said switch means adapted to be operated by its associated contacting element being contacted by a towel.

Reierences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,713,931 7/55 Russell 1944 2,811,241 10/57 Bogaty 198178 2,959,264 11/60 Janson 1944 3,097,760 7/63 Short 1944 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

10 ERNEST A. FALLER, Examiner. 

1. IN AN INSPECTION DEVICE FOR USER ON TOWEL VENDING MACHINE TO EXAMINE AND INSPECT DIRTY TOWELS INSERTED IN SAID MACHINE SO AS TO PREVENT THE DISPENSING OF A CLEAN TOWEL UNLESS A DIRTY TOWEL PASSES INSPECTION INTO SAID MACHINE COMPRISING: A DIRTY TOWEL DELIVERY MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID MACHINE TO TRAVEL IN AN ARCUATE PATH AND ADAPTED TO DELIVER A SINGLE DIRTY TOWEL INTO SAID MACHINE, ELECTRICAL POWER MEANS FOR SAID DELIVERY MEANS AND ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY UPON THE INSERTION OF A DIRTY TOWEL THEREIN, TOWEL ATTACHMENT MEANS ON SAID DELIVERY MEANS FOR PROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF SAID MACHINE AND UPON WHICH A DIRTY TOWEL MAY BE ATTACHED FROM OUTSIDE SAID MACHINE FOR DELIVERY INTO SAID MACHINE, A FIRST BIFURCATED SENSING ELEMENT ON SAID MACHINE STRADDLING SAID DELIVERY MEANS AND ADAPTED TO SENSE THE ENTRY OF SAID TOWEL INTO SAID MACHINE AS SAID DELIVERY MEANS PROPELS SAID TOWEL THEREIN, A SECOND BIRFUCATED SENSING DEVICE SPACED FROM SAID FIRST SENSING DEVICE ALONG THE TRAVEL OF SAID DELIVERY MEANS AND STRADDLING SAID DELIVERY MEANS AND ADAPTED TO SENSE THE TRAVEL OF SAID TOWEL AT A DISTANCE FROM SAID FIRST SENSING DEVICE WHEREBY SAID TOWEL IS MEASURED FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND SENSING DEVICES, SWITCH MEANS CLOSABLE UPON THE INSERTION OF A TOWEL INTO SAID MACHINE TO START SAID DELIVERY MECHANISM IN OPERATION, AND CIRCUIT MEANS ON SAID MACHINE CLOSABLE UPON THE OPERATION OF AND THE CONTACTING OF BOTH OF SAID SENSING MEMBERS TO CLOSE SAID CIRCUIT IN SAID MACHINE TO EFFECTUATE FURTHER OPERATION THEREOF. 